Spiritual Warfare » Battlefield » Christ's Spiritual Strongholds
The primary point of attack of God's forces is spiritual rebirth. Nothing short of success at that point can be deemed victory. If everything else goes wrong, that rebirth has eternal consequences.
Scripture References
- ...as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man he things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Cor 2:9-13 NKJV)
- "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3 NKJV)
- For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:23 NIV)
- ...when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7 NKJV)
- ...do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.(Rom 12:2 NKJV)
- Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor 4:16-18 NKJV)
Commentary
- The preaching of the incorruptible Word of God by a witness with a loving heart, and a changed life anointed by the Holy Spirit is the key to winning the battle.
- We do not "win" souls to provide a punched ticket to heaven after we die. We are "born again" immediately, to make full value of this life, and all things are a new creation. (including all things in the column below, or to the right)
- There are no prerequite good works for being "born again", but we are born a new creature to do good works.
- Our minds are transformed in the image of Jesus Christ by reading, studying, and meditating upon the Word of God. Only through the Holy Bible and prayer can we prove and perform God's will.
- While in this mortal body, the eternal fruits of rebirth seem to ebb and flow while this body perishes. Joy is eternal, but we have to rejoice... or re- joy... looking beyond the things that are seen to the things that are unseen.
- Nothing that you can see with your eyes in this creation will survive, except what God creates anew. Every single thing not regenerated and not redeemed from Satan's power will be burnt in fire.
- If you are reading this, you are either one of the reborn, or one to whom God's mercy is still offering real life.
